Rp 20b hotel tax unpaid

JAKARTA (JP): Several hotels and restaurants in the city have yet to pay their taxes that were due last year, amounting to between Rp 15 billion (US$1.3 million) and Rp 20 billion all told, a councillor revealed on Friday.

One of them is "SH", a star-rated hotel located at a prime site on Jl. Jend. Sudirman in Central Jakarta, which has not paid its tax totaling Rp 5 billion, said Amarullah Asbah, chairman of the City Council Commission C for city revenue.

"It could be considered a tax swindle," Amarullah of the Golkar Party told reporters after meeting with officials of the City's Revenue Agency.

It is still unclear why the hotel has not paid the tax, which should have been done in the 1999/2000 fiscal year.

Amarullah said the city has 208 non-starred and starred hotels, and 2,421 restaurants, including cafes.

For the 2001 budget, the city administration aims to secure Rp 224 billion from hotel taxes and Rp 116 billion from restaurant taxes. (jun)